Smoking accessory



Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE I i I 2 2 59 1 a I. I

S K NG E SQR Wayne McGuirelBe rkeley, Calif. v Application February 15, 1947,.Serial No. 723,883

1 This invention relates to an accessory for smokers inthe form of a combinedlighter, ash tray and cigarette extinguisher. I .,Many times smokers find themselves in the embarrassing position of not being able to conveniently dispose of ashes from cigarettes or to extinguish and dispose of the cigarette butts. The smoker usuallycarries a lighter and cigarettes, but to. add to such equipment by carrying a box or an ash and butt disposal receptacle has heretofore been considered impractical due to the fact thatsuch receptacle is usually required in an unexpected emergency. Its need in such an emergency may be very great, but the average smoker does not wish tov be burdened with an extra piece of equipment which may or may not be required. The lighter and cigarettes are indispensable, but the ash and butt disposal problems are generally not even considered until the emergency is upon the smoker. One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a lighter having an ash tray that does not materially change the size and appearance of the lighter and which tray also forms aportion of a base that is adapted to support the lighter upright on a horizontal supporting surface. Another object of the invention is the provision of an ash tray on a lighter and which tray is extensible on the lighter to a position relative to the body of the lighter for receiving the ashes adapted todrop from a cigarette positioned on top of the lighter, said top being formed to support such cigarette thereon.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cigarette lighter provided with means cooperating with one side of said lighter for extinguishing a cigarette butt and for conducting such butt into an ash receiving compartr'nent below the lighter and top closure of which compartment is one wall of said lighter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the lighter and tray with the latter extended for receiving the ashes of a cigarette positioned on the top of the lighter and which tray is also functioning as a portion of the support for supporting the lighter upright on ahorizontal supporting surface.

I Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lighter and tray in collapsed position for carrying in a pocket or purse.

a Fig. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of 55 lighter between them,said"walls-22,'23 extend-'- "8 Claims. (01.131-234) the body of the lighter and the tray with the cap on the lighter body partially open to permit the removal of the-tray.

. Fig; 4 is an end elevational view of the lighter and tray of Fig. l as seen from the lit end of the cigarette. 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken through Fig. 2 along line 5-5 thereof.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view (partly broken away and in section) showing the lighter cap open and the spring for yieldably holding the cap closed or open. Thefiint wheel, wind shield and wick are .omitted from this view as well as the ashtray.

In detail the lighter portion or; body of this invention, as illustrated, comprises an elongated bottom wall I. Opposed sidewalls 2, 3 and opposed end walls 4,-5 extend vertically upwardly from the side edges and end edges respectively of said bottom wall. The lighter body also includes a top wall 6 (Fig. 5) and a cap I extend ing voversaid top wall and enclosing the conventional wick 8 and flint wheel 9 of a common lighting mechanism; the former being within a wind shield l0. v

The cap 1 has side walls II and one end l2 adapted to extend upwardly from the upper edges ofthe side walls and end wall 5 of the lighter body. The top wall 13 of said ca is concavely curved transversely thereof (Fig. 4) for supporting a cigarette l4 in the concavity thus provided with the lighted endOf said cigarette extending beyond end wall I5 of said cap. The cap is preferably slightly longer horizontally than the lighter body so'that said wall l5 will be slightly beyond the wall 4 of said body (Fig. 1) A conventional leaf spring l6 (Fig. 6)v adjacent end wall 5 is adapted to yieldably hold the cap closed in the-positionshown in Fig. 2, said spring being adapted to engage a projection IT on. said cap withsaid projection flat against said spring when is forceably swung about its pivotal connection with the upper end of wall 5.

. An ash tray. generally designated 20, is below said lighter body,'said body having a bottom2l that'is spaced below bottom wall I of the lighter. Opposed side walls 22, 23 extend upwardly from the side" edges of said bottom wall M, and telescopically receive the body of the ing over the side walls 2, 3 of said lighter in slidable engagement with the latter.

The upper edges 24 (Fig. 6) of said walls 22, 23 extend inwardly over the upper edges of walls 2, 3 thus securing walls 22, 23 to the lighter against downward movement of the said latter walls and said ash tray from the lighter. In- Wardly projecting ridges 25 are formed in walls 22, 23 along and-just below the level of the bottom wall I of the lighter; thereby preventing upward movement of the ash tray relative to the lighter while permitting lateral movement in a direction longitudinally of bottom wall I.

The end wall of the lighter body may'extend downwardly to a point in thesame plane as the bottom 2| of the ash tray, which extension is designated 26 and forms a stop for preventing tray 20 from sliding beyond said pro- 7 jection. This extension 26 also forms a leg that coacts with the fiat bottom wall 21 for supporting the lighter upright on a horizontal supporting surface. I A relatively short end wall 21 extends upwardly from the end of bottom l to substantially slidably engage the lower side of bottom wall I. This end wall may also engage leg 26 when the tray is in collapsed position.

Opposite end wall 21 is an end wall 28 that extends upwardly from the end of bottom 2| outwardly of and alongside end wall 4 of the lighter. Wall 27 is preferably slightly spaced from said body, even when the ash tray is collapsed, to provide a vertical passageway'between walls 4, 28 into the space 29 (Fig. 5) that is between the bottom walls 1, 21.

The upper edges' of side-walls 22,23 are each formed with a slight'upward extension 30 (Fig. 3) at the ends of the said edges remote from the end wall 28, and the lower edges of the sides H of cap 1 are formed with slight downward'projections 3| adjacent end wall [5 of said cap. 7 When the cap is closed, the ash tray cannot be removed from the lighter body due to the engagement between extensions 30 and projections 3i. These extensions and projections thus define a definite means for limiting the outward sliding of the ash' tray to the position indicated in Fig. l. However, upon swinging the cap up wardly about its pivot 32, the ash tray may readily be removed for emptying the same.

'When the cap 1 is closed and the ash tray is in collapsed position, the end walls I5, 28 are substantially coplanar and the rear free edges of walls 22, 23 are-substantially flush with the end 5of the lighter body. While the invention is not limited as to size, the actual size of a satisfactory combined ash tray and lighter, such as shown in the drawings and in collapsed position, is about 2% inches 'by about 1% inches'by about 1 /2 inch, or'even smaller than some pocket lighters. Yet the capacity of said ash tray is ample to meet any emergency and upon dropping a lighted butt'into the confined passageway defined by walls 22, 23,- 28and4, the said butt will be automatically smothered in a few seconds time, especially if the ash tray is then collapsed. 4 In operation, a cigarette may be lighted in the ordinary manner by the lighter, after which the smoker may close the cap 1 and extend the ash tray to its limit as seenin Fig. 1. then may be supported upright on a horizontal surface and thesmoker will use-the top ofthe cap as a support for the. cigarette with the lit end of the cigarette extending over the upper open :end of the enlargedv passageway defined by The lighter 7 4 walls 22, 23, 28 and 4. The ashes from the lit end of the cigarette will fall onto bottom 2|. After finishing the cigarette, the smoker may drop the butt into the aforesaid passageway where it will tend to extinguish itself because of lack of air. The ash tray may then be collapsed, there being ample room for the butt or for more than one butt between walls 4, 28, even when the ashtray is collapsed. I

The end. wall 21 closes the end .of. the tray opposite end 28 and the space 29 is adapted to hold ashes free from the danger of spilling.

The frictional resistance between the walls 22,

23 and 2,3 while not sufficient to make the extension of the ash tray objectionable, is adequate to maintain the ash tray closed, and a web 40 within cap "I coplanar with wall 4 and in substantialengagement with said wall 4 when the cap is closed prevents any ashes from entering the portion of the lighter holding the wick, flint and flint wheel.

It-is to be understood that the detailed description and drawingsare not intended to be restrictive of the'invention but are merely illustrative of a preferred form thereof.

I claim:

1. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having an elongated bottom wall; a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly fromthe end and side edges of said bottom wall; a second bottom wall spaced below the bottom wall of said lighter body substantially corresponding with the latter wall in shape, size and relative position and having a pair of opposed-side walls and a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly 'therefrom; means slidably securing said last mentioned side walls to said body for sliding in a direction longitudinally of the bottom wall of said lighter to permit movement of said second bottom wall to a position partially ofiset to one side of said body exposing said second bottom wall; one of said last mentioned end walls terminating at its upper endat the lower side of the bottom wall of said body for movement below the latter when said second bottom wall is moved to said partially ofiset position. a

2. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having an elongated bottom wall; a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly from the end and side edges of said bottom wall; a second bottom wall spaced below the bottom wall of said lighter body substantially corresponding with the latter wall in shape, size and relative position and having a pair of opposed side walls'and a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly therefrom; means slidably securing said last mentioned side walls to said body for sliding in a direction longitudinally of'the bottom wall of said lighter to permit movement'of said second bottom wall to a position partially offset to one side of'said bodyexposing said second bottom wall; one of said last mentioned end walls terminating at its upper end at the lower side of the bottom wall of said body for movement below the latter when said second bottom wall is moved to said partially offset position; the other end wall and the opposed side walls of said second bottom extending alongside the corresponding end wall and side walls of said body for coacting with said corresponding end wall'to define the'sides of a vertical passageway extending from the upper end of said body to the space between the bottom of said body and said second -bottom wall" upon movement of said other end wall away from said corresponding end wall when said second bottom is moved to said partially offset position.

3. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having an elongated bottom wall; a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly from the end and side edges of said bottom wall; a second bottom wall spaced below the bottom wall of said lighter substantially corresponding with the latter wall in shape, size and relative position and having a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly therefrom; means slidably securing said last mentioned side walls to said body for sliding in a direction longitudinally of the bottom wall of, said lighter to permit movement of said second bottom wall to a position partially offset to one side of said body exposing said second bottom wall; one of said last mentioned end walls terminating at its upper end at the lower side of the bottom wall of said body for movement below the latter when said second bottom wall is moved to said partially offset position; a leg on said body adjacent the end wall that is so movable below the bottom wall of said body for coacting with said second bottom wall to support said body upright on a horizontal surface.

4. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having an elongated bottom wail; a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly from the end and side edges of said bottom wall respectively; a cap positioned over the upper end of said body formed with a depression for supporting a cigarette with one end of the latter projecting across and outwardly of the upper edge of one of said end walls; an ash tray below said body carried by the latter; sidewalls extending upwardly from said ash tray, said sidewalls and said one end wall defining a vertically extending passageway for conducting ashes that may drop from the projecting end of said cigarette into said ash tray.

5. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having an elongated bottom wall, a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed side walls extending upwardly from the end and side edges of said bottom wall respectively; a cap positioned over the upper end of said body formed with a depression for supporting a cigarette with one end of the latter projecting across and outwardly of the upper edge of one end wall of said pair; an ash tray below said body comprising a lower wall spaced below said bottom wall, opposed side walls and an end wall extending upwardly from the edges of said lower Wall and defining the opposite sides and one end of said tray and cooperating with said one end wall of said body to define the walls of a vertical passageway extending to said cap with said passageway opening upwardly at its upper end below said one end of a cigarette that is so supported on said cap, two opposed sides of said passageway being said one end on said lower Wall and said one end wall of said body, and two other of the opposed sides of said passageway being part of the two opposed side walls that extend upwardly from said lower wall.

6. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having a bottom wall and vertical walls extending upwardly therefrom, an ash tray having an imperforate lower wall spaced below said bottom wall, opposed side and end walls on said lower wall extending upwardly therefrom, means including the side walls on said lower wall supporting said lower wall for movement to a predetermined position offset to one side of said body, a horizontal cap over the upper side of said body for supporting a cigarette thereon with one end of the cigarette adapted to project over said lower wall when the latter is offset to said one side. i

7. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having a bottom wall and vertical walls extending upwardly therefrom, an ash tray having an imperforate lower wall spaced below said bottom wall, opposed side and end walls on said lower wall extending upwardly therefrom, means including the side walls on said lower wall supporting said lower wall for movement to a predetermined position offset to one side of said body, a horizontal cap over the upper side of said body for supporting a cigarette thereon with one end of the cigaretteadapted to project over said lower wall when the latter is offset to said one side, said cap being swingably mounted on the upper end of said body for swinging of said cap from its horizontal position upwardly, stop elements respectively carried by said tray and by said cap engageable with each other for limiting the degree of movement of said tray to said one side of said body when said cap is in said horizontal position.

8. A smoking accessory including a lighter body having a bottom wall and vertical walls extending upwardly therefrom, an ash tray having an imperforate lower wall spaced below said bottom wall, opposed side and end walls on said lower wall extending upwardly therefrom, means including the side walls on said lower wall supporting said lower wall for movement to a predetermined position ofiset to one side of said body, a horizontal cap over the upper side of said body for supporting a cigarette thereon with one end of the cigarette adapted to project over said lower Wall when the latter is offset to said one side, said cap being swingably mounted on the upper end of said body for swinging of said cap from its horizontal position upwardly, stop elements respectively carried by said tray and by said cap engageable with each other for limiting the degree of movement of said tray to said one side of said body, the stop element on said cap being movable out of engagement with the stop element on said tray when said cap is swung upwardly to permit separation of said tray from said body.

WAYNE MCGUIRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS v Date 

